NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) 鈥 Congo鈥檚 president wants the world鈥檚 second largest United Nations peacekeeping force to move up its departure from the country, starting this December, saying it has failed to rein in conflicts in the country's east.
President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi in an address at the annual on Wednesday accused the 17,000-strong peacekeeping mission of being unable to confront the fighting in eastern Congo that is 鈥渢earing apart鈥 the central African nation.
After a quarter-century of peacekeeping efforts, 鈥渋t鈥檚 time for our country to take its destiny fully in hand鈥 and become the leading security force in Congo, he said. How Congo's estimated 100,000-strong military will adapt to the challenge is not clear.
Moving up the start of the peacekeeping mission鈥檚 鈥渁ccelerated retreat鈥 by a year, from December 2024, will help ease deadly tensions in the region, said the president, who is seeking a second term in a general election in December.
Eastern Congo, far from the capital, has long been overrun by dozens of armed groups seeking a share of the region鈥檚 gold and other resources. Some have been quietly backed by Congo鈥檚 neighbors. U.N. experts have noted 鈥渟ubstantial evidence鈥 that the resurgent M23 rebel group, which Rwanda has denied.
Thousands of civilians have suffered, and frustrated Congolese say that no one is protecting them from rebel attacks. Earlier this month, a Congolese military crackdown on planned protests against the U.N. mission and severely injured more than 50 in the eastern city of Goma. Two high-ranking officers were arrested.
Such protests have been common. to eastern Congo planned for early this year was canceled because of the worsening security situation there.
鈥淚n the past year, the political and security environment has deteriorated sharply, creating a severe humanitarian and protection crisis,鈥 said a report last month by the U.N. secretary-general discussing options for the peacekeeping mission鈥檚 withdrawal.
As the U.N. mission withdraws, more pressure is likely to fall on a separate, much smaller East African regional force in eastern Congo which has seen citizen protests as well. Earlier this year, the Southern African Development Community also decided to deploy forces to eastern Congo.
